European Union helps to modernise wastewater treatment facilities in Belarus

Ambassador Dirk Schuebel, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Belarus, took part in the ceremony of signing seven Grant Agreements totalling EUR 5.8 million in support of Belarus Water Sector Framework, a wastewater treatment project of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The signing ceremony took place on 27 July, 2020 at the Ministry of Housing and Communal Services of the Republic of Belarus. Minister Andre Khmel took part in the signing ceremony on behalf of Belarus.

The grants are provided through two multi-donor funds – the Northern Dimension Environmental Partnership (NDEP) and Eastern Europe Energy Efficiency and Environment Partnership (E5P). Both NDEP and E5P were set up to boost countries’ efforts to improve municipal infrastructure investments, which will also result in environmental and energy-saving benefits.

“The European Union will help to modernise wastewater treatment facilities in Baranavičy, Biaroza, Klieck, Liubań, Fanipaĺ, Žlobin and Škloŭ. These projects will improve the essential services to the population and will also result in environmental benefits,“ Ambassador Schuebel said at the signing ceremony.

The NDEP will provide a €1.5 million investment grant to the Baranavičy subproject. The remaining six subprojects will receive an investment grant of €4.3 million from the E5P, to which the European Union (EU) is the largest contributor.

The grants will be used for capital investment to refurbish the existing wastewater treatment facilities in compliance with the national and EU standards, as well as the standards of the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (HELCOM).